The World Above
by CeruleanArrow
Summary: Hiccup, the outcast of the village, has her whole life changed when she shoots down a Night Fury, the most dangerous Dragon known to Berk. But what if Hiccup realizes that Dragons may be more than what people see? ... A Female Hiccup story that retells HTTYD with her own perspective and extra scenes. This sticks to the story line, but with new content and character insight.
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to Berk

**Hello all! Welcome to The World Above. This isn't my first Fanfic, but it is my first fic on this account. I decided a while back that I wanted a fresh start, so here I am. **

**I know female Hiccup stories had been done before, but I wanted to do one of my own and then continue it with a sequel that is close to HTTYD 2 with my own twists on female Hiccup. I will be including extra scenes and interactions in my story, but as for the first chapter, it sticks pretty close to the movie. Soon enough there will be more original content on there, so bear with me. :D **

**Anyways, I hope you all like this and give me your support and suggestions!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD**

* * *

><p>Chapter One: Welcome to Berk<p>

The village of Berk. Twelve days north of Hopeless, and a few degrees south of freezing to death. It was located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. This village was, in one word; sturdy. It had been standing there for seven generations, but all of the buildings were new. It had fishing, hunting and a charming view of the sunset. The only problem with Berk? The pests. Most places may have mice or mosquitos, but this quaint island? It just so happened to have…

"Dragons!" cried a short girl as she slammed her door shut just in time to avoid a fire blast from a dragon that had gotten too close. Her name? Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III; a short and thin girl with pale skin dotted with freckles, bright and wide green eyes and shaggy auburn hair that always seemed to get in her face. Her nose was like a button and her rosy lips were currently held in a scowl. She had a small scar on her chin that she had been told she had since birth. Hiccup pulled away from the door when she felt the scorching heat die down and panted.

You see, most people would leave, but not them. They were Vikings that had what some people would call 'stubbornness issues'.

Hiccup ran out from the charring doorway and past many of her Viking brethren. The sights of men and women alike tackling the dragons, swinging weapons at the beasts and even shooting arrows up into the skies were all normal to Hiccup by now, as she had been exposed to them since her birth.

You may also be wondering; what kind of a name is Hiccup? Sometimes Hiccup herself didn't even like her name, but it was far better than others that lived in the village. Vikings believed that giving their children horrendous names would help scare off gnomes and trolls. As if their personalities didn't already do this for them.

Hiccup ducked under a log that was being carried off someplace to most likely fix some of the wreckage. She turned quickly, only to be thrown back by a fire blast sent by a dragon. A hulking man ran past, chasing after it, only pausing to lean over the fallen girl.

"Raaaaah!" He yelled in her face, continued by, "Morning!" As you could see, their demeanour was quite charming. Hiccup gave an awkward laugh to him, which he must have thought was a good enough answer, as he went racing off again, leaving her to pick herself up and wipe the spit off of her face.

The brunette ran around a few of the newly built huts, ducking and diving underneath flaming pillars. She slid down a ladder and then rush up a path. As she went, the adults in the village eyed her up.

"What is she doing here!?" One yelled as he hauled a giant piece of wood down the path, past her. "Get inside!" Another one growled at her as she hauled her giant axe. "Get out of the way!" two others called. As you might be able to tell, Hiccup wasn't exactly a sight these people wanted to see at this moment in time.

Hiccup rushed up a wooden walkway and towards a cross section. She may have become ashes by a fire breather that flew right in her path if she had not been pulled back by a strong grip.

"Hiccup!" Her saviour yelled, still holding her up off the ground by her oversized fur vest. The man proceeded to look around at the other Vikings, "What is she doing out here aga-? What are you doing out here!?" He had turned her in the middle of the sentence to question her directly. Obviously not caring much for an answer, he shoved her to the ground and sent her in the direction of the smithy. "Get inside!"

The man who had saved her life (on multiple occasions) was named Stoic the Vast, and he just so happened to be Chief of their village's tribe. He was a tall and heavily muscular man with green eyes and flaming orangey red hair. Like most Viking men, he grew his hair long. The back was in a braid, along with his long beard that was split into three separate ones. Lastly, his moustache was also braided. Lets just say, braids help keep the hair away from dragon fire.

The town tales said that when Stoic was a baby he popped the head of a dragon clean off its shoulders with just his hands. Did Hiccup believe this? Absolutely.

Stoic grunted and shook his head at the flimsy girl before turning to see a dragon trying to fly off. He picked up one of their wooden wagons with his raw strength and chucked it at the flying beast with perfect precision. He then went to a trusted Viking friend of his. "What do we got?" He asked the man.

The slightly shorter, but equally as scary looking Viking looked at him with grave eyes. "Gronkles, Nadders, Zipplebacks and even the monstrous Nightmare." He grumbled out the names of the present types of dragons, pausing to duck under his shield as a fire blast went off. Stoic didn't even flinch. "Any Night Furies?" The chief asked, easily flicking flames off of his metal shoulder plate as the other Viking recovered. The answer he got was a no, in which the large man nodded. "Good."

* * *

><p>Hiccup had run off in the direction of the smithy, her small legs only carrying her a short distance. She was lucky she had speed though, and was far faster than most her age. Maybe this was due to the fact that she spent most her life running away from the dragons that constantly attacked. Whatever it was though, she was thankful for her endurance.<p>

The freckled girl skidded past men and women who were raising the large torches into the sky, hoping that it would either keep the flying devils away, or force them to land on the ground. Most Vikings were better at hand to hand combat.

She then ran right into the smithy, passing a giant man (though shorter than Stoic) as she did so. "Nice of you to join the party! I thought you would be carried off!" He called after her as she went right to a rack, throwing on an apron. She proceeded to look back at him and spare one of her silly grins. "What? Me? Naah, c'mon. We both know I'm far too frightening and fast for them to muster. They wouldn't know what to do with all this!" She laughed as she hauled a heavy mace back on to the weapons wall.

"Well, they need toothpicks don't they?" He smirked as he hammered away at a bent sword. This mans name was Gobber and he was the Smithing Master. His right arm and left leg had been taken away in one of the many dragon raids that the island had. In place of the leg was a peg that allowed him to easily manoeuvre around like any other normal person (even if there was a bit of a hobble to his step), and his arm could be replaced by many of the interchangeable extensions he made. It was currently in the form of the hammer he was using. Other than the missing limbs, Gobber was what most other Viking men looked like. Battle scars a plenty, long braided moustache that swung when he moved (though his was blonde) and big ears that stuck out far from his helmet clad head.

Hiccup rolled her eyes and moved past him, opening up the shudders to the smithy, the place where people dropped off weapons. She picked up the pile that was already forming and took it over to the burning embers of the forge.

The small girl had been working there since she was little… Well, littler that she already was. Though 'work' was probably the wrong word for it, more like Gobber's slave. Work would entail payment, which she got none of. Luckily though, he sometimes let her take any extra scraps they had so she could work in her little corner of the smithery on inventions. Unlike most, Hiccup happened to have a brilliant mind for inventing… Now if only she could get them to continue working and not go awry.

Returning to the window to grab more of the overflowing pile of bent and broken weaponry, she paused. Just outside, filling buckets of water were all of the other kids her age. They were allowed out by their parents to help douse the fires that dragons started.

Fishlegs Ingerman was a large boy for his age, not only by height but in girth as well. He had thick arms that may or may not have been made with muscle, a wide and circular head, large button like nose, shaggy blonde hair and a red complexion. He was usually seen with a horned helmet on his head and covered in a large fur tunic. Fishlegs was fairly peaceful and almost shy, but followed along with his other companions, whether he wanted to or not.

After Fishlegs came Snoutlout Jorgenson, her very obnoxious cousin. He had darker brown hair then Hiccup that was unruly and flicked around in every direction as it sprouted beneath his helmet. He also had thick black brows, large and upturned nose, greenish grey eyes and a spreading of freckles on his cheeks. He liked to pretend he was the most powerful recruit for dragon killing in their generation. He was just pompous like that.

Next came Ruffnut and Tuffnut, the Thorson Twins. Tuffnut was the girl of the two, her long blonde braided hair framed her face, two more tinier braids sticking out at an awkward angle from her own helmet. She was very much a tomboy, but this wasn't surprising as she was a Viking in training. Ruffnut looked very similar to his twin, except his own long blonde hair wasn't braided, and instead hung loose. His nose was a bit more pointy that his female counterpart, but they were both overall, tall and thin, though not like Hiccup. They actually had muscles… The Thorson twins were known for their arguments and their pranks.

Last, but definitely not least was Astren. He was a tall boy with long blonde hair he had back in a messy and loose braid. He had a leather hair band that slid underneath his bangs, and very mystical blue eyes. He wasn't thick like most Vikings were, but you could tell his body was made from pure muscle. He usually wore patched up blue pants, a sleeveless green shirt that had an odd horizontal pattern and shoulder armour. Astren was known around town as the best amongst his age, as he showed raw talent for being a dragon slayer. He was smart and strong and well-liked, everything Hiccup wanted to be. He set her heart ablaze… Not that he knew it. The small crush had started when she was younger but Hiccup supposed it started to grow as they got older.

Hiccup watched in awe as he extinguished a fire on a house. _You're an idiot Hiccup! He would never like you anyways! _She thought to herself. Alas, she still couldn't take her eyes off the magnificent boy. Oh how she wished she could talk to him without feeling anxious or like she was about to lose everything she had eaten for breakfast. It never seemed like it would happen though. She shook herself out of her thoughts as they ran past, paying her no mind. _Odin, their job is so much cooler. I have to be the servant to a meathead like Gobber. _

Maybe today she could join them? She had always wanted to, but had never been allowed. The brunette went to jump out of the window-like thresh hold, but was lifted by the back of her shirt by Gobber. "Uh uh uh." He grunted, making Hiccup sigh. "Aw, c'mon! Let me out please? I really need to make my mark! And this time I can Gobber!" She looked at him with pleading eyes, something that used to work as a little girl, but now that her voice grew nasally and she was older, it seemed to have lost most of its effect.

Gobber set her down away from the shudders. "Ooh, ye have made plenty of marks young lady. All in the wrong places! Remember that time ye thought you could shoot down that Nadder with a bow and arrow me lass'?" Hiccup winced. "My calculations had been off… I didn't mean to get that guy in the behind…" she muttered and shook her head. "But its different this time Gobber! My calculations are right! I only need two minutes. If I could just kill a dragon, my life would get so much better than it is…" She whispered.

Gobber sighed and shook his head. Hiccup was known as the village outcast. She was always trying her hardest to fit in, but that only made her stick out more. She had been special from birth; smaller than the other kids and much more intellectual. As she grew, everyone was sure that she would be a great dragon slayer… But she never grew physically. It set her back from the others. She could barely pick up weapons, she was always fumbling about, her coordination and accuracy wasn't the best. It got her picked on ever since she was little. He knew the girl wanted acceptance from her peers; she had basically been living alone her whole life. Her father was a busy man and her mother had long since past. What he didn't know was that the kids even liked to call her _Hiccup the Clumsy_ or _Hiccup the Useless_.

The large man had to put his foot, err… peg, down on this one though. "Ye can't lift a hammer, ye can't hold an axe, no one wants ye around a bow after last time. Ye can't even throw one of these!" The Smithy Master held up a ball and rope contraption, that when thrown at a dragon correctly would trap it and knock it from the sky.

Hiccup groaned. "Okay! Fine, but _this _will throw it for me!" She ran over and tugged a new invention over to him. It was almost like a small catapult for the ball and rope weapon. She tapped the top, only to make it activate and shoot out a shot, flinging past Gobber to hit another Viking in the face. She winced and looked at Gobber's deadpan face. "Heh.. Sorry?"

Gobber began to walk forward, pointing at her and her catapult. "See, this right here is what I'm talking about." Hiccup shook her head. "Oh, c'mon! Mild calibration issue! I can have it fixed in an instant!" She stated, though in her mind she was wondering what had gone wrong. Gobber just groaned. "Hiccup, if you ever want to get out of here and go kill a dragon, you need to… to stop all of this!" He pointed at her.

Hiccup frowned. "You just pointed at all of me!" She huffed. Gobber nodded. "Yes. Stop being all of you!" He said cheerfully, as if it was such an easy fix. Hiccup sighed. _If I could do that, don't you think I already would have!? _Instead of voicing this, she continued to pester him. "Oh, you sir are walking a very thin line! Keeping all my raw Viking-ness contained? There shall be consequences!" She cried. Gobber rolled his eyes at the girls sarcasm. "I'll take my chances." He muttered and threw a sword into her arms carefully. "Sword. Sharpen it. Now." Hiccup grunted at the weight and slowly wobbled over to the grindstone to sharpen the sword that was almost as long as her body.

_I swear, one day I will get out of here. I will kill a dragon. _She thought to herself, determined.

In Berk, killing a dragon was everything. Taking down a Nadderhead was sure to get her at least noticed. Gronkles were bigger and more tough, taking down one of those would surly get her into the other kids gang, and possibly even closer to Astren. A Zippleback had twice the heads, and was also exotic so it would give her twice the respect. The monstrous Nightmare, able to set its own skin aflame, was sure to make her well-known around the whole village, as only the toughest of the tough could take them down. But then there was the ultimate prize… The dragon that no one had ever seen.

"Night Fury!" Hiccup heard someone outside call. She stopped her grinding and ran over to the window to look out at the watch tower. She could hear an odd rushing of noise before a sudden purple explosion hit the tower, making half of it crumble. The Vikings around either ran, hid, or ducked straight to the ground. Stoic, who had been on the tower fighting a Nightmare, jumped away as soon as the explosion hit. This dragon never stole food, never showed itself and certainly didn't miss. Hiccup jumped when another explosion hit the tower, destroying it completely. No one was to ever engage the Night Fury, and no one had ever killed one. Thats why Hiccup decided that she was going to be the first one to do it.

The twig of a girl walked over to Gobber, only for him to be reattaching a new piece to his arm, this one a double headed axe. He looked down at the girl before hobbling over to the entrance. "Man the fort Hiccup! They need me out there!" Before he left though, he looked her in the eyes. "Stay. Put. There. You know what I mean!" He huffed awkwardly before going off with a battle cry.

Hiccup honestly thought about staying for a moment, as she didn't want to cause Gobber any more trouble. She could honestly say that he was her only companion and she didn't want to let him down… _But, if I can do this, he won't have to be disappointed. _She argued in her head before making up her mind and grabbing her catapult. She rushed out of the smithy and through the crowds of people. She ignored them calling out her name to tell her to get back. _Sorry, but it will all be okay soon! _

She wheeled the contraption up to the top of a hill near the edge of Berk. It would be a perfect spot to shoot the Fury. She unloaded it and set it up perfectly and quickly and then slid into position, her hands holding onto the bars that she could use to turn it about. Now she would have to wait. "C'mon… Gimme something to shoot at. Gimme something to shoot at." She whispered to the sky.

For a night of a dragon raid, it was very quiet. Hiccup blinked though when she heard roaring from far up ahead. She searched the skies, but it was impossible to see. Every once and a while she would see stars blink out of existence and soon realized that it was where the dragon had been roaming. She readied the catapult with narrowed eyes. _I can do this. I have to do this!_ She told herself, watching as the Fury blew up another tower with purple fire. She gasped and followed it with her eyes, shooting with blind faith. The shot went off perfectly, but it made her fall back. She coughed at the impact but quickly got to her feet. She almost cried in joy when she heard a screech as the Fury went falling.

"Oh my gosh, I hit it.. I actually hit it!" She cried and jumped up, her arms thrown into the air. She couldn't explain the joy she felt. "Did anyone see it!? Anyone?" She called and slid her fingers through her hair. Hiccup froze though when she heard something behind her, making her look back. She squeaked when she saw a large Nightmare staring at her. "Anyone except you!" She cried and ran off in the opposite direction with a girlish scream.

* * *

><p>The night had been going well for Stoic the Vast; Chief of Berk. They had managed to get three Nadders slung up in a net, completely pinned for the killing and they had no casualties so far except some bruised and battered Vikings. They would be able to walk it off though. The kids had even been able to save a few houses from being destroyed. Things didn't often go this well. There were usually more broken bones, more supplies stolen and more houses and watch towers destroyed. Yes, a very good night indeed. Until <em>she<em> happened.

He had been helping a few other villagers when he heard her shriek. He looked back to see the silhouette of a body that was tiny enough to only be one person. _Hiccup._ Not only was she running and tripping down the hill with a Nightmare nipping at her backside, she had blatantly disobeyed him when he ordered her to stay inside. He looked back to the men. "Make sure they don't escape!" he bellowed and ran off in the direction the girl was headed.

From a distance he could see the little girl was just narrowly avoiding a few of the Nightmares sprays of liquid fire. She then took to hiding behind one of the torch towers just in time for the large demon to spray where she had been standing. The wood on the tower began to burn. Hiccup, realizing the fire had stopped streaming from the nightmares mouth turned to slowly look, only, she was looking the wrong way. The Nightmare had gone the other way and was about to snap at her when he jumped in and tackled it away.

Now that he had the Nightmares attention, he swung his hammer around and cracked his neck. He was always ready for a fight. Even against a Nightmare. The Nightmare also seemed ready to fight, but only when it tried to spray fire at him and it only came out in a small stream did it realize its energy had burnt out. "Yer all out of juice." He grumbled and went forward, punching and kicking it in a barrage that made it move backwards. Then it was finally scared off, flying away as fast as it could. He sighed and narrowed his eyes. Now to deal with the real problem.

He pounded back over to the post which had burnt though. It fell to the ground, breaking some wooden boards that had created a walkway down to another part of Berk. It would have also hit a man, had he not dived out of the way. The torch part of the pole disconnected and rolled down the hill, freeing the Nadders they had earlier collected and singing a few of the people. There she was though, that small and timid little girl, looking up at him with eyes of guilt.

"Sorry… Dad."

Yes. Stoic the Vast's daughter was Hiccup. Hiccup who, beyond everything else, always seemed to make the best of nights turn into the worst with her clumsiness. Ever since Valka, his late wife, had been taken away from him by the damn demons, he hadn't known what to do with the girl. She always seemed far too curious for her age, too smart and too weak. She was not like a normal Viking. No… She wasn't a Viking at all. It was times like these that he wished Valka was there the most. She would have known what to do.

Stoic watched as all the free dragons took off with their sheep. Next, turning his attention to his only child, he felt the anger burning up inside of him and it wouldn't stop growing. She always got him like this. She never listened. Hiccup looked over at him awkwardly. "Okay, but I hit a Night Fury though." She rushed out desperately.

That did it.

Stoic grabbed her from the back of her vest and began dragging her along. The whole village had gathered around, watching the outcast be dragged along by her father and their Chief. "Ugh, Dad! It's not like the last time! I seriously, really actually did it! You guys looked so busy, I had a clear shot and I tried it! I hit a Night Fury and it looked like it fell around Raven Point, if we could just send a search party we could find it and-" She chattered on until Stoic felt his head beginning to ache. "Stop!" He bellowed and paused, looking at the girl. "Just… Stop." He muttered. It hurt to do this to her. As much of a pain in the neck she was, she was still part of Valka. Her nose was like her mothers, her auburn hair was a mix of both of theirs. Her face shape, lips and eye shape all painfully reminded him of the girls mother. Sometimes it was so hard to bear. He couldn't let that show though. He was Stoic the Vast, the Chieftain of Berk. He could be weak to no one, not even his own kin.

"Every time you go outside, disaster seems to strike. Can you not see that I have bigger problems? Winter is almost here and I have an entire village to feed!" He yelled. Hiccup winced and looked down nervously. She rubbed her one arm, a nervous twitch she had, along with nibbling at her nails. "If I'm being honest Dad, some of the villagers could go without food for a while…" She muttered quietly. Stoic just groaned. Did she not get it? Was everything a joke to her? Teenage girls were just infuriating. "This isn't a joke, Hiccup! Why can't ye just follow the simplest of orders?" He bellowed at her.

He watched Hicup flounder for a moment. "I-I can't help myself! I just see a dragon a-and I gotta just, uh, k-kill it! Y'know? It's just who I am dad." She tried to play it off cool, but he could see the nerves and guilt in her eyes.

The large man shook his head and rubbed a hand over his sweating forehead. "Oi… You are many things Hiccup, but a Dragon Slayer ain't one of them. Get back to the house." He muttered quieter and then looked at Gobber, his trusted friend. "Make sure she gets back to the house and stays there for once. I have her mess to clean up." His blonde moustached comrade nodded and came up behind the girl, smacking her on the head to which she muttered 'ow'.

* * *

><p>Hiccup felt her cheeks heat brightly. All she wanted, <em>all she wanted<em>, was to finally have the village see her in a new light. She swore she had killed it, but she _had_ knocked it down. If only he actually believed her and followed along with her for just once. She sometimes wondered what it would be like if she wasn't the Chiefs daughter. Maybe she wouldn't be seen as so much of a failure, so much of a mistake. Hiccup could have probably blended in with society more, had she not so much pressure to be the perfect heir to Berk's Chief-hood. The brunette didn't resist though when Gobber began pulling her along. She kept her eyes on the ground, especially when they passed by the other kids her age.

"That was a great performance." Ruffnut smirked at her as she walked past, turning after to smirk and chatter with his twin.

"I've never seen anyone mess up that badly. That helped!" Snotlout jested, making the twins laugh more. Fishlegs just nodded along with them, but avoided looking at Hiccup entirely. Hiccup herself just continued to find the ground a much more interesting place to look at than the faces of the others. "Thanks." She muttered sarcastically. It didn't even make her feel better when Gobber pushed him off balance. Hiccup did peek up once though, only to see Astren's unimpressed face. He wouldn't even look at her, instead he stood and just walked away, the rest of the group following suit.

The sun had already began to rise when the smallest Viking began reaching her house at the top of a hill, Gobber still behind her. "You know, I did hit it." She murmured softly. "I wasn't lying."

Gobber sighed and nodded. "Of course you did Hiccup."

Hiccup shook her head. "He never listens to me! He think's I'm useless… most likely because I'm a scrawny girl." She murmured the last part quietly. Gobber shook his head back at her. "Stubborness runs in your family." Hiccup huffed and climbed the stairs to her house, feeling deflated. "Even if he does listen to me its always with that unimpressed scowl. Its like I don't belong to be his daughter." He looked at Gobber and puffed out her chest. "_Excuse me, it seems ye have brought me the wrong offspring. I asked for a boy with beefy arms and muscles, one who wont disappoint me. But look at what I have here, a girl who is too weak to even carry me axe!"_ She grunted and groaned and tried to deepen her voice to imitate her father. Gobber wanted to laugh, but kept it in. "Hiccup, you're going about this in the wrong direction lass'. Its not what you look like on the outside so much.. Though it may help if you could pick up an axe… But its really whats inside that he can't stand."

Hiccup blinked and sighed. "Thank you for your kind words of wisdom." She drawled sarcastically and reached for the door handle. Gobber put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "What I am getting at here young lass, is that you need to stop trying to be something you're not. You are an excellent inventor and I like having you around! Maybe just stop making those things that destroy the town." Hiccup blinked. His efforts to cheer her up were not exactly the finest.

What he said didn't matter to her though, because as long as she was different, she would never fit in. All she ever wanted was to fit in, to actually have friends, to be rid of the indescribable loneliness she felt. "I just want to be one of you guys…" She whispered solemnly and went inside.

Hiccup leaned back against the door and waited until she heard him walk away. She rubbed a hand across her face to try and clear the soot, keeping her eyes closed so she could think. What would her father want her to do? Stay in side and not go anywhere. What was she coing to do? Find that Night Fury.

In a few quick bounds she made it upstairs to her room. She grabbed her notebook, a piece or charcoal to write with and was back downstairs. She straightened her vest, pulled on better shoes that weren't so loose on her and headed out the back door.

Time to find herself a Night Fury.


	2. Chapter 2: In the Forrest

**Hello. Welcome to Chapter Two. Thank you all for your support on the first chapter. Its nice to see a handful of you interested in my story. I decided to load up the second chapter a bit early in thanks... So thank you and I hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD or any of its characters. **

* * *

><p>Chapter Two: In the Forrest<p>

The morning of the dragon attack (as the sun had already risen) the Chief called a meeting in the Great Hall for all of the adult Vikings that could go into duty. They were all surrounding a large oval table, the centre was hollowed out so that a hearth sat in the middle. It helped thaw the chill from the night's happenings. Stoic was at the head of the table, leaning over a large map of the area they had charted out.

"Either we finish them, or they finish us!" Yelled the red bearded man. This was echoed by many of the villagers nodding and commenting their approval. "It's the only way we will be rid of them!" Stoic's voice called through the whole hall powerfully. He truly was the Chief in this position. "If we find their nest and we can destroy it, the dragons will have no choice but to leave. They will have to find another home!" He stabbed his dagger into a picture of a dragon on his map. "One more search before the ice starts, who's with me?" He beckoned.

The room was silent until a villager called out, "Those ships never come back!"

Stoic understood, no one would want to go on a wild chase for the very elusive Den of Dragons this close to winter, especially with the past record of having slim to no survivors in these expeditions. But they _had_ to. For his peoples sake, they had to rid of the dragons. Without dragons, they could live so much more freely, have so few worries on their hands and far more supplies. He was also doing this for Hiccup, though he wouldn't admit it to the others. He wanted to protect his daughter from an untimely demise. She always seemed to be getting herself into problems, no matter the time. Maybe, _just maybe_, without dragons, his daughter would stop risking herself and could live in a safe environment. He really did care for his little girl, he just couldn't show it.

Stoic looked up at all of the men and women in the room and spoke with a clear voice, "We are vikings! This is an occupational hazard. Now who is with me?" He still received silence. The Chief sighed and stood from his leaning position. He rubbed a hand across his face tiredly. "Alright, those who stay have to look after Hiccup." As if they couldn't have heard him more clearly, all their hands shot up at once. He even heard a Viking man call out, "To the ship!" He nodded to his people as they began to clear out. "That's more like it."

Gobber, who had been watching from the sidelines at a table, stood and looked at his friend. "I'll pack me undies." He had recently been sipping from his arm attachment that was in the form of a mug. This seemed to be a common occurrence, as Stoic payed it no mind. "No, I need you to stay here at Berk and train the new recruits." Gobber nodded. "Oh yeah, and while I am doing that, Hiccup can look after the shop all by herself, with weapons and scrap parts and all the time to herself. That sounds like a wonderful idea." He stated dryly.

Stoic sat down on the bench beside him and put his face in his hands. "What am I going to do with her Gobber? The girl still walks around like she's a new sheep babe without a protector; like she cannot keep her balance in life. She falls herself into so much danger." Gobber looked up from his mug. "Why not put her in training?" He stated. Stoic looked up at his friend with an unimpressed look, "I am being serious." Gober nodded, "And so am I."

Stoic looked at the man as if he was crazy. Did he not understand the implications of Hiccup, the clumsy, curious, trouble-prone girl she was, going into dragon training? "She'll get herself killed before the first dragon even comes out of the cage!" He exclaimed. That couldn't happen. She was all he had left of his precious wife Valka, and as much as Hiccup was sometimes a burden, he loved the girl. He just didnt have a very great way of showing it.

Gobber waved his hand at the man in dismissal, "You don't know that."

Stoic looked at him as if he was crazy. "I do actually. I know it."

Gobber grunted and looked at the man, "No ye don't!"

Stoic stood and began pacing. "You don't understand. Ever since she was a babe, she's been… Different." He muttered. "She doesn't listen, she has the attention span of a sparrow, she has this attitude! I can't even ask her the what the weather looks like outside without her going off in some other direction. I take her fishing and she goes off hunting for goblins or trolls!" He grumbled. Gobber piped in, "Trolls are real! Steal ye left socks! But Stoic, I think most teenage girls are like that! Mysterious creatures, women are."

Stoic ignored him and looked down at the ground. "When I was a boy-" Gobber sighed, "here we go." The chief either didn't hear or didn't care, because he continued on. "My father told me to bang my head against a rock. I thought it was crazy, but I did it. I didn't question my father. And you know what happened?" Gobber keyed in again, "You got a headache?"

The redhead continued on as usual. This was how most of their conversations went, Stoic ranting on (usually about Hiccup) while Gobber sat there, ignored, trying to pipe up when he could. He had to wonder if this is what Hiccup had to put up with as well.

"The rock split in two, and in that moment, It taught me what a Viking could do Gobber. He could crush mountains, level forests, tame seas even! As a boy, I knew what I was, what I had to become. Hiccup isn't like that. She's wild, unpredictable. I can't seem to… connect." He sighed.

Gobber sighed and looked up from his cup. "You can't stop her Stoic, you can only prepare her. I know it seems scary, but the truth is, you won't always be around to protect her. She will go out there again! Hiccup is a special girl, she's brilliant in her own way, but she can't be dependent on the others to protect her. And who knows!? She could even flourish in training!" He said, only to receive a deadpan look from Stoic. He sighed, "Alright, its a long shot. But she could at least learn how the others do it so she could be of some help."

The blonde moustached man looked at his friend and put his hand on his shoulder. "Stoic... She's probably out in the world right now."

* * *

><p>Hiccup groaned. How long had she been out here? An hour? Two? Or was it three? She looked down at her field journal where she had drawn out a map of Berk and its surrounding forests and environments. On it were many charcoal 'X's from the spots she searched and couldn't find anything. Maybe it was the lack of sleep (she hadn't gone to bed since the night before), or maybe her horrible directional skills, but the process seemed to be taking a long time. She felt so stupid. What if she didn't actually shoot a Fury? What if her eyes had really been playing tricks on her? A sigh escaped her mouth. She really hoped that wasn't the case.<p>

The brunette looked up to the sky, it was bright out now but the forrest kept her shaded. Looking back to the ground, the floor was scattered with vegetation and flowers. It would have been a peaceful sight if she wasn't already so agitated.

Looking back at her book she began to scratch at the map with her charcoal. "Ugh, this is useless!" She cried, then put it back into her vest. "The gods must hate me… Is that it? Most people lose a knife, a book… Not me! I lose an entire dragon! Ugh! Hiccup, you stupid girl." She knocked against her head as she began walking down a hill, having to hop up and over some bigger rocks. She angrily smacked a tree branch, only for it to come back and smack her right in the face. "Ow! Thats just great." She glared at the tree. "You will burn for that tree! Wait.." She looked up, only to see that the tree was actually split down the middle, half of it leaning down at an awkward angle. Beyond that, on the ground was a long dirt trough that looked like something had slid down the hill. Other trees looked like they had been snapped as well.

Hiccup slowly got into the trough, actually tripping at one point and smearing mud on herself. It didn't matter at the moment though, she just picked herself up and wiped herself off. She began to crawl up a hill that the trough went up and looked over the edge, only to gasp and duck back down. What in the world was that!? Had it been…?

She slowly peeked over the edge again with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Right there, lying on the ground was a black dragon, unlike anything she had seen before. It was all wrapped up in the ropes that Hiccup had fired. Its scales were black as the night sky, it had four legs like a western dragon and a long tail. Its two wings were bent in odd shapes due to the ropes.

Hiccup panted and searched herself until she pulled out her knife. She held it out in front of her, unsure. Quickly, she leapt from her spot and jumped behind a large bolder that masked her tiny body. She pressed against it and slid around until she was face to face with the dragon. It still lay unmoving. Was it dead?

The tiny Viking girl padded forward. "Oh wow… You really are something to behold, hm?" She muttered to herself. She could at least admire the horrible creature a bit, as it was much nicer looking than some of the other ugly dragons her people caught and brought down. She paused when the realization came to her though. The people of her village… They could finally see!

"I did it.. I actually did it!" She grinned and walked forward more in excitement. "This fixes everything! Oh man! Dad is going to be so happy. I have brought down this mighty beast!" She cried and put a foot on it for show, only to scream and stumble backwards when it let out a dragon-like groan. One of its legs moved slightly as well. Its eyes stayed closed, but it began to breathe deeply. Hiccup herself was breathing deeply as she held her dagger out and edged forward again.

When the beast opened its eyes, Hiccup almost jumped again. They were a vibrant greeny yellow that overtook the whole eye with slitted pupils. The look it gave her was not one she had ever seen any dragon hold before. It almost looked… Interested? Its eye held onto her every movement. Was it possible this thing was actually intelligent?

Hiccup shook slightly as she pointed the knife at it, to which it let out a soft croon. She sucked in a breath loudly and then blew it out, making her bangs dance around on her forehead. "I-I gotta kill you dragon… I'm gunna take out your heart and show it to my father. Its the only way they will see I'm not a wimpy girl. I am a viking!"

She raised her knife over her head, ignoring its groans. _I can do this… I just need to plunge this into its chest and take out the heart, right? Oh god I'm going to be sick… No! I am a Viking. I can do this!_ She thought this to herself, trying to force the sick feeling away. She couldn't help from peeking down at the dragons face though, those eyes still stared at her, like it was almost accepting what was about to happen, that its fate was ultimately death. Hiccup squeezed her eyes closed again, not wanting to watch. She heard the dragons groan as it closed its eyes and lay its head back. She grit her teeth and held her hands high again, before letting them fall weakly to rest at her head.

Her deep green eyes opened to stare down at the creature. She sighed softly and put her arms down. It looked so weak and frail, a once glorious predator taken down to its lowest. The ropes binding it were covered in a deep red blood and its limbs were curled at awkward angles. It looked like how she felt on the inside. Defeated, weak, alone.

"I did this…" She whispered and took a few reeling steps back. She knew she wasn't supposed to… But she really felt bad for this Fury. She felt like they were in the same place. The ropes that held him were like the villages expectations holding and binding onto her. Hiccup didn't wish that pain on anyone, even her worst of enemies like a dragon. She slowly leaned down and began cutting at the ropes. Her village would hate her if they knew what she was doing. She supposed that she really wasn't a Viking.

The ropes slowly snapped open as her sharp knife sawed through them. As soon as all the ropes snapped, the dragon bound free and the next thing Hiccup knew, her head and back were hitting against the boulder she had previously used as a cover. She tried to ignore the pain, but couldn't help but groaning.

Hiccup looked up blearily, only to look away and begin hyperventilating when she saw two green eyes looking back at her. She whimpered softly and squeezed her eyes shut. At least if she died now, the Village wouldn't have to worry about her anymore.

_This is it… This is my end. Sorry Dad but I have to go meet Mom now._

Her eyes cracked open when she felt some of the pressure form the paw leave her. She looked up to see the Night Fury slowly leaning back on its hind legs, its mouth opening to show spiked teeth. _Oh gods.._ She thought. But nothing happened. The dragon came down on her, opened its mouth and roared into her face in anger. Then it just left, running and jumping off into the forrest.

Hiccup sat there, stunned. She held her chest in shock as she panted. It had let her live? She lay there for a moment to catch her breath before standing. She had to get out of there. Her vision instantly began to spin though. She tried to walk up the hill, only to fall back down from fainting.

* * *

><p>He had been flying, trying to protect and help the other of his kind gather up enough supplies, and also trying to put an end to the useless and pesky race that were constantly attacking them. <em>Foolish Humans.<em> He had thought. None were able to catch him, none had ever even seen him. If there was ever a smart human, they would have been able to get him by now. Just as he had been thinking that (as if the fates suddenly chose him to play with) a human weapon of some sort made from rope and metal balls came flying up from the land below and found its way around his body. His wings had been constricted and his flight taken from him, making him fall into the forests of the island below.

The landing had been harsh. He first hit against a tree, crushing it with his weight and making it snap down the middle. His body then tumbled to the ground, sliding through the dirt and taking down more trees with him. The ropes, meanwhile, had been cutting under his scales to leave gashes behind. His dark blood wet the human bindings.

His fall ended when he tumbled off a slope and landed harshly on the ground. One of his wings had been left open at an awkward angle, the other luckily was pinned to his back and spared from pain. His tail was burning in pain as well, but for what reason, he had no clue. He tried to escape the ropes, but they had wound around his body in a way that he could not access. His claws couldn't reach, nor could his teeth.

He just lay back, knowing there was not much else to do. The killers would have to come for him soon, right? Thats when he would take down the foolish human that had somehow been smart enough to take him from his rightful spot in the sky. He slowed his breathing and rested his head down. He would need to conserve his energy.

Many hours had passed since the landing and he was unsure whether or not someone would actually come to finish him. That was until he heard mumbling in the distance, and light and clumsy foot steps pad closer to his position. He focused on staying still and keeping his breathing very shallow.

When the human caught sight of him, he heard a gasp of what he assumed was fear. And rightfully so! Any human who chose to get close to him deserved to be scared. How dare they knock him, the glorious Night Fury, down!

The human, who he concluded was very small and most likely feminine, hopped down from the ledge and snuck behind a nearby rock. He heard the sound of a dagger being unsheathed.

So someone _had_ come to kill him. The person wasn't very smart though, they still thought he was dead, and they even thought it was okay to walk close to him.

"I did it.. I actually did it!" A nasally voice rang out beside his body. "This fixes everything! Oh man! Dad is going to be so happy. I have brought down this mighty beast!" The human then _dared_ to touch him. The Night Fury growled and knocked the human off of him, taking in deep breaths again. His eyes sliding open to behold the human that had come to end his life. What he saw was almost shocking.

In front of him was a small little human, so unlike the other Vikings he had ever seen. Most were big and burly, with thick arms and legs made of muscle. This one was short, thin and weak looking. It was a female, with brownish red hair and light little brown dots scattered across her face. The humans eyes were green like his, but deeper like the tree leaves in the evening. Her cheeks were currently flush, and her breathing was abnormal and hitched. She looked at him in fear.

When she realized he couldn't move or get to her (even if he wanted to), she stood back up, her body still trembling like a leaf. She slowly edged forward until she was next to his chest. He growled at her when she pointed the knife at him, which made the leaf-like girl flinch softly. "I-I gotta kill you dragon… I'm gunna take out your heart and show it to my father. Its the only way they will see I'm not a wimpy girl. I am a viking!" She said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself, more than tell the Night Fury.

She lifted her knife above her head with both hands and thats when the dragon realized she was actually going to go through with it. He let out a soft croon, saying "_Get it over with human" _and shut his eyes, head laying back. He might as well die in peace. Or at least, he thought he was going to die. The human seemed to have other plans.

After a few minutes, the girl had still yet to do anything. The Fury was starting to get curious, but wouldn't let the human best him. He wouldn't pay attention.

"I did this…" She whispered to no one but herself, as the Night Fury (though he did understand what she was saying) didn't really care. He heard her lean down beside him, and then the sound of something being cut. But it wasn't his body that the knife was touching, as he couldn't feel the pain.

His eyes snapped open to see the girl cutting at the ropes. His pupils became even thinner as he listened and slowly heard ropes beginning to snap. _Humans really are foolish._

He felt the ropes snap one by one until they were all undone and he could move freely. Without hesitation, and without a second for the girl to react, he pounced at her and pinned her to the rock, her back and head connecting to it harshly. He heard her groan softly, before realizing what was happening. She looked up at him with wide, scared eyes and a laboured breath.

The Night Fury stared down at her through narrowed eyes. She seemed to understand that he could easily kill her, and that he would. Toothless reared back onto his legs, ready to take the girls life… That was until he saw it. It was there for a brief moment, showing itself in her eyes before she squeezed them shut again.

_Acceptance._

The girl had looked at him, and in that time he could see all the emotions she had just through those tiny green eyes of hers. She had been ready to accept death, and he knew why.

The girl wasn't like the other humans. She felt like she was a burden to them, useless and weak. She was unable to do the one thing humans liked to do; kill dragons. The brunette girl knew that if she didn't do this, she would be more of an outcast, more alone, than she already was. In a way, it reminded him of himself. Both of them were creatures unalike the others of their kind. Both alone, with none other like them. They didn't fit into the cast that they had been designed to.

Within a short look, he could see all of this in her eyes, and maybe it was because the Dragon felt the slightest touch of sympathy, or maybe it was something bigger he didn't quite understand yet, but… He let her live. Instead of crushing the small girl like originally planned, he reared back down and let a roar echo into her ears. The small girl curled up in a ball and cringed away from the noise.

The Fury turned then and hopped off into the forrest, trying to fly off.

_Maybe it is I that is the foolish one._ He thought as he left the girl behind.

* * *

><p>When Hiccup woke up again, it was already dark. her face was pressed into the dirt and there was a spider crawling over her hand. "Ew." she huffed and flung it off of her as she stood. She supposed it had been a couple hours since she had freed the Night Fury.<p>

_That Night Fury… It let me live… Why? _She thought to herself. It would have to wait though. Her father was sure to be home and she had left after he said not to. She sighed. _I'm going to be in deep trouble if he realizes I was gone._

She picked herself and her dagger up, wiped off her muddy face and dusty vest. Her hair was in a disarray, but that was normal. Once everything was in order she proceeded to head back out of the forrest. It was a lot spookier in the evening, and cold. _But I'm not scared…_

The village was lit up with torches and lanterns. She could hear many people still up late working on the rebuilding of houses and collecting of materials. She winced, knowing all this was her fault too.

Through the town, she tried to take the most uncommon route, so she didn't run into anyone. She snuck by the smithy, only stopping for a second to peer in and see Gobber fast at work fixing weapons and making new tools and equipment. She wished she could help but she wasn't sure she would really be able to hold anything heavy in her currently weakened state. Plus, her father would be expecting her at home.

Hiccup continued on, dodging through alley ways. She was certain she would make it to her house safely with no interruptions, until she turned a sharp corner and smashed into someone. She fell back on her behind and winced at the impact. The brunette picked herself up and froze when she saw who it was she had knocked into.

Astren stood there, unfazed by the bump. Slung over one shoulder and supported by his grip was a stack of wooden boards. He must have been part of the construction team. He looked at her with cold eyes. "Watch where you're going." He said sharply and tried to move past her. Hiccup jumped to the side and watched as her crush began to move on. "Uh… Astren… Sorry?" She called after him. The boy just carried on, though pausing for a brief moment to call back, "This is all your fault _Useless_."

The word hit hard. Especially after the recently occurring events. Maybe it was true. She wasn't a good Viking, she only caused trouble, and when she truly could have killed a dragon (a Night Fury no less!) she screwed it up and let the dragon go. Hiccup wasn't a killer like her bretheren, and she would have to live up to not being a true Viking.

The rest of the walk home, she mulled over the incident in the forrest. She just couldn't get those green eyes out of her head. They just felt so… so _human_. The emotions she saw in them were unreal. She didn't realize it yet, but deep down she wanted to see that dragon again.

* * *

><p>When Hiccup got to her house she slowly opened the door and closed it behind her equally as slowly, so not to make a noise. She paused when she saw her father sitting by the heath in their main room, sharpening a sword. She pressed herself to the wall and slowly tried to sneak around him by staying hidden in the shadows the hearth made. When the tiny girl reached the stairs, she began crawling up them.<p>

"Hiccup."

Hiccup jumped at her fathers voice. _I'm not even good at sneaking, even if I'm this small!_ She thought to herself. She had thought she might be able to avoid confrontation, but of course her keen father would have caught her. Looks like she had to confess.

"Uh, Dad… I think we ned to talk about something." She murmured and turned to look at him, sitting on the stairs. And even though she was up on the stairs, Stoic almost matched her height.

"I need to speak with you as well, daughter." He murmured and scratched at his beard awkwardly. It wasn't often that he and his daughter had these long conversations. He had been avoiding of them due to Hiccups never changing teen girl attitude.

"I think its time you learned to fight dragons." Said Stoic at the same time that Hiccup was speaking.

"I've decided I don't want to fight dragons." Said Hiccup, who tried to talk over her father.

They both paused and looked at each other, both asking, "What?"

Stoic looked at his little girl and rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Uh, you go first." Hiccup shook her head, her cropped hair flicking around, "No… No you go first."

Her father sucked in a deep breath. "Alright, well… You get your wish, Dragon training it is. You start in the morning."

Hiccup felt her heart drop. The gods truly did hate her. How could she possibly go into a training school specifically for something she could not do? "Oh man… I shoulda gone first…" She muttered and then looked at her father, "Cuz' I was thinking… Y'know, Dragon slaying might not be the thing for me… I'm better with uh… Things that don't live. And I mean, we have so many Dragon Slaying Vikings already, but do we really have enough bread-making Viking? O-Or even small home repair Vikings…?"

As usual though, if Hiccup began to talk longer than a few sentences, Stoic stopped listening. He grabbed an axe off the wall and placed it in her arms. "You're going to need this."

Hiccup bit her lip nervously. "Dad… What if I don't want to fight Dragons?" She asked, to which she got a laugh as her response. "Don't joke with me, of course you do."

The brunette girl wobbled down the stairs with the axe, only to trip and have it slide out of her arms and embed itself in the wooden floor. She huffed and tried pulling it out, looking over at her father as she did so. It didn't budge. "Dad, let me rephrase that… I _can't_ kill Dragons."

Stoic laughed and looked back at her, trying to pull the axe from the ground. "Yet, Hiccup. That's what the Dragon Training is for!" He chuckled and walked over, pulling the axe out of the ground as if it was as easy as picking up a pebble.

Hiccup grabbed a better hold of the weapon. She felt uneasy even having it in her arms. "Dad, I am really very extra sure I will not be able to kill a dragon…"

Stoic placed a hand on her head and rubbed her messy locks. "It's time Hiccup."

Hiccup groaned. "Can you not hear me? I'm right here!"

The redhead gabbed the axe from her and held it up like a warrior was supposed to do. "This is serious Hiccup. When you hold this axe, you are a Viking. But not only that, you are my daughter; heir to Berk. You carry all of us with you in your fights." He showed her how to hold it and leaned down. "That means you walk like us," He straightened her posture. "Talk like us," He held her chin up higher. "And most certainly, you have to think like us." He tapped at her head.

Hiccup frowned. _Thats the problem… I'm not one of you._

Stoic stood, towering over her. "Hiccup, Dragon Training is a serious ordeal. No running off to find unicorns, no trying to create things that can fight for ye. Ye have to fight for yourself. And that means no more of… this." He motioned.

Hiccup wanted to slap her face in frustration. "You just gestured at all of me!"

Stoic ignored her again. "Deal?"

The girl looked at him and puffed. "This conversation is feeling very one-sided to me."

Stoic narrowed his eyes. "Deal!?" He asked again, more strain on his voice.

Hiccup sighed, letting her posture relax, her chin fall slightly and her eyes look to the wooden flooring where the axe dent was. "Deal…" She whispered.

Stoic nodded and lift a straw-woven basket (full of supplies) that was almost as big as Hiccup herself, over his shoulder. "Good.." He stated and paused to look at her. With that axe she was almost the spitting image of Valka as a teenager. When his wife was young, she had always liked her hair short like Hiccup, and though she was bigger than Hiccup was, the weapons Valka used were all bigger than her. Yet, Valka never let that stop her. She used those weapons masterfully. He could only hope Hiccup would be the same.

Sucking up a breath, the larger man began walking to the door. "Fight hard, and I'll be back." He muttered and put on his helmet. "Probably."

Hiccup watched him go. "And I'll be here… Maybe."

When he shut the door behind him, she let the axe clatter to the ground again. She plopped down beside it. "What am I going to do…?" She whispered to no one.

_I can't kill a dragon._

* * *

><p><strong>So? Did you like it? I thought it would be nice to include Toothless' point of view. Of course, right now he's going to be all mean because of whats happened, but at least the connection is there.<strong>

**Anyways! Please show me your support and help me by sending a review. It may not seem like much, but seeing that you enjoy this story in your own words really helps fuel me to write more, and faster!**


	3. Chapter 3: First Class

**Hello everyone, Arrow here with chapter three! I am so glad people seem to be enjoying this ****fic. I will keep staying strong to get this all done for you.**

**Also, to the person wondering if this is going to be a Toothcup fic, it will not be. It's going to be Hiccup and Astren, but don't expect this for a while. I need to get the ground set with some good character building first. Toothless and Hiccup grow together, and I really want to show that here. So with no further a due..**

**Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD**

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: First Class<p>

Hiccup had been up most of the night, her thoughts keeping her awake.

No matter how hard she shut her eyes and tried to stop thinking, it only made her more restless. She had tossed and turned and even tried sleeping in different locations, but that didn't work either. She had started in her bed and then rolled to the ground so she could try to sleep on her floor. When those didn't work, she had brought her blankets down to the fireplace to sleep by there, but even the embers weren't soothing enough. Everything brought her back to one thought.

_The Night Fury._

When she looked out the window, she saw the black of night and thought of his scales. When she lay on her floor, the rough green rug she cozied up to reminded her of the green eyes the dragon bore. Lastly, when she lay by the fire, it only reminded her of the way the dragon could breath fire.

She wished she didn't care so much about the dragon, but she couldn't help herself. Her curious mind kept working away. Why didn't he kill her? Why did he just fly away and let her free? Where did he go after he left? And the question that scared and intrigued her the most was whether or not she would see the Night Fury again…

Not only did these thoughts keep her up, but she also had to worry about Dragon Training too. Had her father told her a week earlier, even a day earlier, she would have been ecstatic to get in there and fight the dragon menace. Now? Not so much. After facing the Night Fury and seeing how she just couldn't stomach hurting such a beast, how was she supposed to do as she was told? She wouldn't be able to impress her father or the village…

She was sure to be made fun of by her peers, no matter how hard she tried to fit in. It was like trying to fit a book into an already full bookshelf; it just wasn't going to happen. She would most likely embarrass herself. Her cousin, Snotlout, would tease her and push her around to no end. The Thorson twins would laugh and point and make her feel stupid about herself. Fishlegs would stay by their sides, lucky to be fitting in and just going along with everything they said. And then Astren… He would give her that same cold look that could freeze her insides.

When Hiccup became far too exhausted to even move or squirm about, thats when she was able to sleep. In total she got abound four hours of sleep, as the suns rays infiltrated her eyes and made her awaken again. Vikings in general were light sleepers, as they had to be able to get up in the blink of an eye to go off to fight Dragons. Hiccup just had the problem of getting to sleep and staying that way. Her inventors mind was always churning.

The brunette stayed in bed a while longer before sluggishly picking herself up to get ready for the seemingly endless day ahead of her.

She currently had on a nightgown that she traded in for a long sleeve green tunic, brown leggings, her very oversized fur vest with some matching fur boots. To keep her vest in place she took a long yellow piece of fabric and tied it around her waist. That way, her vest wouldn't catch on anything and make her get singed by a dragon.

She combed though her hair quickly, not bothering to try and tame the locks. It was impossible when it was so cropped and wild. She did braid some of the more peskier parts of her hair though.

Once Hiccup was ready, she headed downstairs and washed up her face with some of the water they kept inside and grabbed a piece of bread. She didn't have a very big appetite but she thought it would be smarter to have something in her so she had at least a bit of energy to work with.

When she heard yelling outside, she knew that it was time for her to head out. Her father was already gone, probably getting the ships ready for their excursion off the island. She had heard about it on the way back from the forrest the night before. She had also heard that one of the reasons why people were going was because they didn't want to be around her. That, and her father was the one who suggested it.

_Gee, thanks Dad._ She thought dryly and headed out, though she almost forgot her axe. It took her a minute to get a good grip on it before she headed out again.

Outside she could see the group of kids her age following Gobber to the Dragon Training Arena, also nicknamed the Kill Ring or Kill Arena. It was where all the dragons they captured were kept or executed.

Hiccup hurried down the hill as fast as she could while also trying not to cut herself with the axe or fall. She almost caught up to them when they got close, though they had yet to notice her. Everyone was in glory of going into the Kill Ring, as they had only witnessed it from the outside before. They all seemed very prepared. Ruffnut and Tuffnut both had doubled ended spears. Snotlout had a spiked mace. Fishlegs had a big hammer, and Astren had a double headed hand axe strung to his hip. They all looked confident with their weapons, but she was having problems carrying hers.

_I'm going to die! _She thought.

The small girl heard Gobber lift the gate to the ring and yell to the other kids, "Welcome to Dragon training!"

Hiccup slowly followed after them, feeling a bit hesitant to go into the ring itself. She had watched many Dragon slayer recruits running around in the ring when she was younger. Her father had always been there with the village elder and so she got brought along as well.

The ring itself was a circular alcove made into the ground with a big net made of metal overtop so the dragons couldn't get out if they were released into the arena. Inside the arena was a supply room off to the side that had a barred door. There were also closed dragon cages that, when opened, would set the beasts loose inside the arena. Outside of the arena though, was a circular wooden walkway around it that would allow other Vikings to gather around and watch what was happening inside.

Ahead of her Tuffnut was boasting about how it would be cool to get a few wounds out of the training. "I hope I get some wicked burns." He chuckled to the group.

Ruffnut smirked back at him, "I'm hoping for some mauling. Like on my shoulder or lower back!"

Astren rolled his eyes at the groups antics. "Yeah, its only fun if you get a scar outta it." He stated cooly.

Hiccup blinked. Why would they possibly want to get hurt? She knew it was 'Viking-like' to have scars, but to wish for it to happen? Wasn't that a bit much? She supposed this was another example of how un-alike she was to her peers. But… The thought of Astren with some manly scars was kind of attractive. When Hiccup realized she was blushing, she shook her head to get the notion away. She entered the ring, trying to join in the conversation.

"Yeah… Uh, scars are so cool. All that pain? Gotta love it…" She muttered and tried to play it off cool. She ran a hand through her short hair, only to squeak when her axe got too heavy with only her one hand and it clattered to the ground. "Heh heh…"

Tuffnut looked back and groaned. "Who invited her here? She can't even hold her axe!"

Gobber, who had also just realized Hiccups presence, looked at Tuffnut with a frown. "Alright kids! Lets get started! The best Viking recruit in here will win the honour of killing his first dragon in front of the whole village!" He said with pride, trying to get everyones thoughts away from the tiny girl. It didn't seem to work though.

"Hiccup already killed a Night Fury, soooo… Does that disqualify her, or what?" Snotlout jeered sarcastically, to which Ruffnut tried to contain her laughter. They all then began walking away.

Hiccup frowned. They all thought it was a joke. Not like they would ever know she actually _had_ downed the Night Fury. It was already gone…

Gobber hobbled over to her, picked up the axe and put it back in her hand. He then began pulling her to where the other teens were forming a line. "Don't worry! You're weak and small, that will make you less of a target! They'll see you as sick or insane and go after the more Viking-like students!" Yet again, Gobber did a terrible job at cheering her up.

She filed into the line at the end next to Fishlegs while listening to Gobber explain what was going to happen.

"Behind these doors here are only a few of the species you will learn to fight here. There are many types of dragons, but over the course of the next few weeks, you will be focusing on these." He spoke loudly as he walked up to the first cage. "The Deadly Nadder."

Fishlegs, who was looking at the doors in excitement muttered, "_Speed eight, armour sixteen_."

"The Hideous Zippleback!" Called Gobber.

"_Eleven stealth times two._"

"The Monsterous Nightmare!"

"_Firepower fifteen._"

"The Terrible Terror!"

"_Attack eight, venom twelve!"_

Apparently this is where Gobber drew the line. "Can you stop it!?" He yelled at the boy. Fishlegs looked down and muttered an apology.

Hiccup had seen him in the great hall memorizing and playing with cards that had pictures of dragons on it and all their stats based on their real live counterparts. You were supposed to take the dragons and fight them against one another, the one who killed most of the other's dragons won. It had become a new trend for some of the younger kids to play this card game so that they knew what they were up against when they got older. It seemed that Fish Legs had gotten into it as well.

Gobber walked to the last cage that was shaking with a dragon inside, putting his good hand on the lever that opened the cage. "Lastly, we have the Gronkle."

Fishlegs slowly leaned over to Hiccup and whispered, "Jaw strength eight." It would have made the girl laugh if she wasn't in fear of being criticized by the others of the group… Or receiving a wallop on the head from Gobber.

Realizing that their so-called teacher had his hand on the lever not to rest it, but to actually let the dragon loose, Snotlout padded forward hectically. "Whoa, whoa, wait! Aren't you going to teach us how to defend ourselves first!?" He asked with wide eyes. Hiccup blinked. For once her cousin was right. Was Gobber just going to make them fight without knowledge!?

Gobber looked smugly at the kids. "I believe some hands-on learning would be best." He pulled the lever, making the large log that had kept the dragons cage barred up, go skywards. Hiccup heard the cage go silent before out came the dragon, snarling at the kids.

It's body was a greenish colour, covered in yellow bumps. The body itself looked like four circles had been pressed together with four legs coming out and leathery wings on its back. It had two antennas on the top of its head just about its acid yellow eyes. It also had flaring nostrils and a wide mouth that came suited with razor sharp teeth. Overall, not a very charming creature to be faced with.

Hiccup gasped and ran off in the opposite direction of the Gronkle, though she wasn't the only one to do so, as the girl could hear the others footsteps on the wet rock beneath them. They must have looked like scattering ants to the dragon.

The Gronkle charged right through the middle of them and slammed against a wall. Hiccup watched and winced. So it wasn't very good at changing directions quickly. The Gronkle fell to the ground, only to get itself back up again quickly.

"Today is about survival!" called Gobber. "If you get blasted, you're dead! Quick, whats the first thing you will need!?

Hiccup blanched. She didn't know a lick about Dragon Slaying… What would you need? You got hurt a lot when you fought them. So maybe… "A doctor!?"

Near her, Fishlegs yelled, "Plus five speed!?"

Astren rolled his eyes at the both of them. He was lowered in a fighting stance, shifting back and forth on his legs so he didn't have to stay still and would be quicker to move out of the way if the Gronkle charged at him again. "A shield!" He called out to their teacher.

Gobber nodded. "Yes! A shield! Get to it!"

Everyone scattered, running to the edge of the arena where shields had been put. Almost everyone grabbed theirs easily, but Hiccup struggled to even pick hers up. It was so big! Luckily, Gobber came over and helped her pick it up and situate it onto her arm.

"A shield is your most important piece of equipment! If you need to choose between a sword or a shield, always go for the shield!" He yelled as he nudged the girl off in the direction of her peers.

The Thorson twins had met in the middle to each grab shields, though they both grabbed the same one at the same time. Tuffnut looked at his sister angrily. "Get your filthy hands off my shield!" Ruffnut glared back at him, trying to pull it from his grip. "There are like, a million shields!" She yelled. Tuffnut rolled his eyes. "Exactly, this one is mine. Take that one, it has flowers on it! Girls like flowers!" By then, Ruffnut had pulled the shield from him and smacked him over the head with it. "Oops, now this one has blood on it!"

The twins, whilst their ever constant bickering, didn't notice that the Gronkle had locked eyes on them and picked them as his target. He shot a fireball at them, obliterating the shield that they had been fighting over, and sending them sprawling onto their backs. As they tried to pick themselves up Gobber smacked his face and yelled at them. "Tuffnut, Ruffnut you're out!"

Hiccup was surprised, yet relieved, that she wasn't the first one kicked out. That meant she must have been doing something right. Right?

Gobber rolled his eyes at the twins as they walked out of the ring. He then turned his attention back to the rest of the group. "Another thing a shield is good for is noise! Hit a weapon against it and make lots of it! It will throw off a dragons aim!" He called.

Hiccup and the others blinked curiously, but followed the orders. Hiccup slammed her axe off the shields metal as best she could, sticking close to Astren, Snotlout and Fishlegs who were all doing the same. They then started running around it in circles, watching carefully as it shook and looked around in confusion.

"All dragons have a limited number of shots!" Gobber called. "How many does a Gronkle have?"

Snotlout, who had began running away from the Gronkle, yelled to Gobber. "Five?"

Fishlegs shook his head and paused, "No, six!"

Hiccup let out a breath. She hadn't known… She had studied dragons, but mostly just the more difficult ones to kill, hoping that when she killed one it would give her more popularity. That, and she thought she would have actually been able to kill one. _Oh man was I wrong about that…_

Gobber nodded to Fishlegs. He was a very smart boy, did all of his readings well. But he was a bit clumsy in the field. He had yet to realize that the dragon had attached its focus to him.

"Six is right! That's one for each of yah!" He called and gestured to the Gronkle behind him. Fishlegs turned to see it just in time to raise his shield and have it knocked from his hands. Luckily, when he screamed, it didn't sound too girlish.

Gobber shook his head as the boy ran off to the outer corner of the ring. "Fishlegs, get out with the twins."

The blonde moustached man looked around at the group. Astren was quickly manoeuvring around the beasts backside, knowing it was a slow turner. Snotlout was at least avoiding the dragons attention. And Hiccup… The girl had her shield in front of her, hiding most of her body, pressed against the wall and a barrier.

"Hiccup! Get outta there!"

Hiccup frowned. _I'm gunna die, I'm gunna die!_ She thought as she stood to move. She screamed though when the dragon sent a blast off close to her body. She ducked back against the cover again.

On the other side of the ring, Snotlout was following Astren, trying to size him up. "I just moved into my parents basement y'know. You should come over and work out, I'll show you just how tough I've gotten! Bet I'm stronger than you!" He chattered incessantly, not noticing the dragon approaching.

Astren rolled out of the way just in time to avoid a blast, but Snotlout faced the force of it against his shield. He let out a high pitched shout as he fell onto his back. His helmet fell down his face. "Snotlout, out!"

Hiccup skittered forward to be next to Astren. She tried to hide her awkwardly pink cheeks. "S-So… Just you and me now, huh?" She asked, looking up at the boy who seemed so attentive.

Astren rolled his eyes. "Nope, just me!" He grunted as he threw himself into a roll sideways. Hiccup didn't understand this until her shield had been thrown off in the distance by a Gronkle blast. She ran after it, trying to reach for her only protection. It lead her straight to a wall.

Gobber sighed. She had been doing pretty good at avoiding it until now. "One shot left!" He called, but froze when the Gronkle kept after the tiny girl. So much for going after the more Viking like teens. "Hiccup!" He yelled at her in slight panic. Sure the girl was a pain in the neck, but he didn't want her dead yet.

Hiccup gasped as she was knocked back. The Gronkle came right up to her face, almost pinning her. Its wide mouth opened and she could see a light rising from its throat. _It's going to blast my face off!_

Right in time, Gobber used his hook to pull the beasts mouth away from her head. The blast hit the wall right above her, making her tiny body flinch. That was twice (or maybe the fifth time) in the span of a couple days that she had almost been killed. Trying to be a Viking in general was a occupational hazard.

Gobber pulled the dragon away while Hiccup recovered. He pulled it back into its cage and flung the cage door closed after it. The Gronkle snarled and attacked the door from behind the barrier. Gobber rolled his eyes at it, "Don't worry, you will get another chance!"

He turned back to his students who were all regrouping. Hiccup stood away form them awkwardly as always, trying to catch her breath. He hobbled over to her, leaning down to her level. "Remember: A dragon will always, _always_, go for the kill." He said, loud enough for the others to hear.

Hiccup frowned and looked to the smouldering wall behind her.

* * *

><p>Hiccup, though she hadn't wanted to at first, had returned to the forrest where she had first encountered the legendary Night Fury.<p>

It looked exactly as it had before, minus the black hulking dragon. The cut ropes and metal balls that had once held the Fury were still on the mossy forrest floor. She leaned down and picked up one of the ropes.

_If dragons always go for the kill like Gobber said… Why didn't you? _ She thought, but added. _Not that I'm complaining…_

She set down the rope and stood, looking towards the direction the dragon flew off in. It wasn't like it would lead her anywhere, but she began walking in that direction.

Not often did Hiccup venture this deep into Berks forests, usually finding solace in her workshop at the smithy or in her room at home. Even then, her room wasn't all too welcoming when she knew her father was downstairs, most likely thinking about how much of a failure she was.

After a while, things started looking familiar, and Hiccup made sure she kept track of the path she was taking in her journal, lest she try to head back and get lost. She wasn't much of a survivalist either, so she was sure she would quickly parish in the woods.

Half an hour of slowly manoeuvring around the forest in circles led her to a big rock structure. She ran her hands along it as she walked, pausing when her hand had to stop in front of a large crack, large enough for her to go through. Ever the curious one, Hiccup went into it, slowly creeping down the length of it, towards the other side where light was. She has to duck under a root that had seemed to grow out of another crack in the rocks.

On the other side, Hiccup realized what this place was. It looked like a naturally occurring bowl. The area was circular with high rock walls. On the top were tall trees thats roots had overgrown down the ledge. In the crater it was grassy and filled with rocks and shrubbery along the edges. In the centre was a pretty pool of water.

Where Hiccup was currently standing was up half way up the rock wall in a crack, though there was a way to get into the crater if she wanted to. All she would have to do was hop down some rocks.

"It'd oddly pretty here…" She murmured quietly in her nasally tone, as if her voice alone could disrupt the beauty. She hadn't thought that a place full of so many rough and crude Vikings would have such a nice place to look at. Though she grew up in that community, she was still a girl; she was allowed to appreciate things that were nice-looking.

Hiccup padded over to the rocks that would lead her down and paused when she noticed black circular _things_ on the ground. She crouched to see what exactly the _thing_ was. Upon further inspection (picking it up and turning it around), she realized that it was a scale. It was sturdy, hard and black with a slight glossiness. It reminded her of the Night Fury… But that wasn't possible, right? It had flown away.

Just as she was thinking this, a black object flew over the crevice she was in, making her stumble back and fall on her behind. She jumped to her feet again when she heard a deathly roar come from the thing.

The brunette looked at the wall beside the crack to see the familiar black creature trying to climb up, but only to fall back down into the crater. It glided over the pond and landed back down on the dirt, shaking itself off like it was a dog.

Hiccup gasped in amazement and slid down the rocky path until she got to a better vantage point. She flattened herself to the stone ledge and watched as the dragon tried to take off again, gliding and then falling. It continued to jump at the rock wall, trying to get up.

A thought then occurred to Hiccup. Even if she couldn't kill this Night Fury, she was still the first to see it, the only one to know what it truly looked like, and she wanted to record that.

Pulling out her field journal and piece of coal, she flipped to a new page and began to sketch out the Night Fury. Unlike most of the residents of Berk, Hiccup was actually a good artist, with good attention to detail. Each of its long wings were about the span of its own body, its head had little ears and it had fins coming out from its backside. The Fury's tail was long and had two fins as well.

She looked back and forth between the real Night Fury and her depiction of it. "Why don't you just fly away?" She asked quietly, though she wasn't sure if the dragon could hear. It seemed a bit preoccupied with trying to fly away, or singing the ground with its fire bolts. It looked a bit frustrated.

Hiccup looked the creature up and down curiously. She paused when she saw that its left tail fin was missing. She used the side of her hand to smudge it out in the picture. Could it not fly with only one? Where had the other gone? Had… Had she done this?

The dragon tried to fly again, only to soar and fall back to the ground fruitlessly. It's head landed next to the pond, only inches away. The look in its eyes was so sad for just a moment, Hiccup felt her heart clench in pain. She tried to ignore it, instead watching as a fish caught its attention. She watched it lunge at the water, mouth snapping at the aquatic creatures, but coming up with nothing. It collapsed back down again.

Hiccup sighed. She would have to leave it there for the time being… She wasn't exactly sure what she could do for it. She stood, only to clumsily drop her charcoal down the rock's ledge and gain the attention of the Night Fury's green eyes.

For a few moments they stood there, staring at one another; green eyes meeting green eyes. Hiccup didn't exactly know how, but somehow she could just tell what the creature was feeling.

_Hurt. Frustration. Anger. _

All feelings Hiccup knew very well. She backed up slightly when she felt her heart squeeze tight at the look.

_There must be something wrong with me._ She thought.

Only when the Night Fury growled and stalked off into the shadows of the trees did Hiccup feel it was okay to leave. And as she climbed up the stone wall and walked back through the crack she couldn't help but shiver at the thought of those captivating eyes. They were just…

_So much like mine…_

* * *

><p><strong>There you go folks, chapter three. Hope you all enjoyed it. <strong>

**Don't forget to review; every one helps.**


	4. Chapter 4: Bond

**Hello! Sorry for the delay all. As I have been asked, no I do not have an upload schedule currently. I am a busy girl and have school to attend to. That comes first, then this story. But, I will have a long break in February where I will be able to get many chapters of this sorted and written out, so I will begin a more stable schedule then. For now, it just comes when it comes. **

**To make up for the long delay though, I have written a longer chapter. Next chapter will have a bit more of Toothless' POV. So, enjoy until then!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own HTTYD.**

* * *

><p>Chapter Four: Bond<p>

On the way back from the forest, Hiccup had been too caught up in her thoughts to know where she was headed, so she easily got herself lost in the confines of all the trees. After several wrong turns and actually walking in a complete circle, Hiccup finally got back to Berk. By then though, it was already getting dark and had started to pour rain.

In the forest, she had been covered from the oncoming wetness, but in the village she would not be. She would have loved to just head home (odd for her to say that), but she was expected in the Great Hall to go over that afternoons training.

_Yippee… Because I really want to go there so I can be bullied and picked on more. _She thought. _Wonder what they'll say today!_

The brunette girl ran through the village, trying to duck under as much cover as she could, but in the end it didn't really help. By the time she arrived, her damp hair was sticking to her freckled cheeks and she was out of breath. Luckily, her oversized furry vest kept her field journal protected, and the most of her body… Though it did smell a bit weird when it was wet.

Hiccup paused outside the door to the Great Hall and sighed. She could hear them talking about how everyone did. Why was it always such an internal battle for her to actually face any of her peers? Though the answer was simple; Hiccup still wanted the approval from them. She still wanted to fit in.

The girl shook her damp hair and pushed the big doors open with all her might. She had to face them.

Gobber and his students were all sitting around a table near the large fire place. There was torches hung on the support posts nearby; giving them enough light to be able to see their food. Plates of chicken and lamb were on the table, along with some vegetables that looked like they had yet to be touched.

"So, what did Astren do wrong today?" Gobber asked.

Astren nodded and leaned back. "I mistimed my summersault dive. It was sloppy, and could have gotten me injured. It threw off my reverse tumble."

Snotlout snorted, "Duh. I mean, I totally could have done it better."

Ruffnut rolled her eyes at the other boy. "What are you talking about you barf bag? Astren was perfect out there. You were shot out so easily!"

Snoutlout huffed and grumbled, "Says you…"

Gobber hummed and slapped a hand on Astren's shoulder. The boy didn't flinch, though it seemed like a hit that would have sent Hiccup sprawling on the ground. "Astren is correct. His dives were off, but with some practicing he could easily fix that up. You need to be able to be hard on yourselves if you are going to make it as a Viking."

Hiccup, who had approached the table, grabbed her plate of chicken that had been set out and made to sit down, only for Snotlout to slide into the spot. She sighed internally. So now she wasn't even allowed to sit with them now? Great.

_Then again, I was never allowed to eat with them before…_ She thought.

She had always sat quietly in a corner, reading. Or her father just let her stay home and eat their salted fish. She preferred the latter.

Gobber, as if always knowing how to make her situations worse, opened his big mouth and asked, "So, what did Hiccup do wrong today?"

Ruffnut leaned over to her twin and chuckled, "She showed up?"

"She didn't get eaten?" Snotlout jeered.

Astren, the ever studious one, answered the question properly. "She was never where she should be."

Gobber nodded. "Thank you Astren!" He exclaimed as he watched Hiccup grab a cup of water and sit down at an entirely separate table. She looked at her food with disdain; she had no appetite. The man hobbled past her and set a book down on the table in front of the other kids.

"You guys need to live and breath this stuff. Thats why I am going to entrust you with this book: The Dragon Manual." He nodded to it.

It was an old leather bound book that had become faintly orangey after the many years it had seen. It was scratched and beat up, and smelt faintly of ink and parchment. On the front of the book was an insignia burnt into it, of a dragon coiling around itself in a circle. Surrounding the dragon was a circle of braid like designs. The corners of the leather had been burned with designs as well.

Gobber looked at it like it was an old friend. "Everything you need to know about the beasts is in this book. There is age old knowledge in these pages about every dragon known to Berk." He patted the front of it. "Well thats that… Since there is no attacks tonight, you can study up." The moustached man hobbled by, heading towards the door.

Tuffnut stood. "Wait, you mean that you want us to read this thing!?" He yelled after him.

Ruffnut nodded in agreement. "While we are still alive? Are you insane!?"

"Yeah, why would I want to read some words when I can just kill stuff the words tell you about instead!?" Snotlout grumbled and shoved the book away from him.

Fishlegs looked at the rest of the group, a bit of a sparkle coming into his eyes. "Oh! I've read it so many times; like over seven for sure! There is this one dragon, it has a water element, and it can spray boiling water all over your face! And theres this other one that can turn you inside out with its claws! And then, and then…"

Hiccup was sure that the boy could have kept going on and on for ages about all the dragons he had heard about, if it weren't for the uninterested looks on the others faces.

"Yeah, that sounds great and all." Tuffnut said loudly, making the boy go quiet. "Y'know, there was the slim chance I was going to read it… But now.."

Ruffnut smirked. "Naaah."

Snotlout laughed and stood. "How about you guys read, and I go kill stuff?" He called as he ran to the entrance.

Tuffnut stood up, pushing his sister down. "I'm with yah!" He called. Fishlegs got up as well and ran out with them, following the pack as usual.

Ruffnut stood, threw her helmet back on and rushed after them. "Hey you fish heads, get back here!"

Hiccup slowly got up, ignoring her food for the moment and padding over to the book that was sitting near Astren. She wrung her hands together. "So I guess we can share, don't worry though… I read fast." She murmured to him.

The blonde boy didn't even give her a look as he stood and began to head out of the Great hall. She thought he wasn't going to say anything until he called, "Read it," over his shoulder.

Hiccup blinked. "Oh, uh… All mine then, huh? Guess I'll just hafta read it and then talk to you about it later, right? How about tomorrow? Astren…?" She hollered, but he was already gone. "Yep… I guess it really is all mine." She sighed and took the large book back over to where her food was. She tried to finish her meal the best she could and by then the rest of the Vikings who had been lingering around the Hall (left behinds from the mission at sea) had left, leaving just her and a darkening room. She lit a few candles around her so that she could read what the book had to say.

The brunette girl threw the books first page open and read out loud, "Dragon classifications… Boulder Class; for tough dragons associated with the earth element. Stoker Class; for the most fearsome of the fire breathers… May also be able to set themselves on fire. Sharp Class; for dragons who's edged body parts alone could cut you down…" She whispered softly. There was a few others, but one stopped her. "Strike Class. For dragons with striking speed, pin-point accuracy and strong jaw power. These dragons also have extreme intelligence and strength."

_That sounds like the Night Fury…_ She thought to herself, but tried to shoo away the thought so that she could concentrate.

Flipping the page, she was met with a picture of a large dragon with a large circular mouth and many teeth. It had a long tail that flew behind it. Down the page were many more detailed pictures of its body parts.

"Thunderdrum… This dragon inhabits sea caves and dark tide pools." She read, then looked at the picture of a man with his head fallen off and the Dragon right by him. "When startled, the Thunderdrum induces a concussive sound that can kill a man at close range."

_Wouldn't that be a pleasant why to die?_ She thought dryly and winced.

The last words on the page were, "Extremely Dangerous. Kill on sight." As Hiccup went on though, she found that at the end of every dragon's information it would say the exact same thing. She flipped through the book faster, trying to find a least one that didn't have it, but they all had the same thing.

_Extremely dangerous, kill on sight._

There were over twenty species known to Berk in this book, and as the girl went on looking, she could tell they had been intensely researched. That was until she came to the page labeled 'Night Fury'.

Where a picture was supposed to go was just blank space, which was reasonable because before Hiccup, no one else had seen the Fury and lived to talk about it. Below the blank space was writing.

"Speed: Unknown. Size: Unknown." She whispered softly. "This dragon is the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance: Hide and pray it does not find you."

The words sent shivers down her spine, and she couldn't help but yell when there was a boom of thunder behind her. Luckily, no one else was there to hear it. She let out a breath and pulled out her field journal, opening it to the page of the drawing she had done earlier.

"How come you didn't kill me?" She murmured to the dragon who was not present. "I engaged you, I didn't run and hide… If this book was right, I should be dead right now… But I'm not."

* * *

><p>Stoic stood over a map, contemplating quietly.<p>

He and his men had been at sea for a few days now, and had been quite lucky. A few storms had hit and their boats banged up, but they hadn't lost any people or had many casualties. They had yet to even sight a dragon. This last part made Stoic confused. Usually on trips like this, they would have spotted a few already.

Being on the water normally made him calm, but ever since they left all he could do was worry. He worried about not being able to find the nest, not being able to destroy it. He worried for the upcoming winter and the supplies that they didn't have… Most of all though, he was worried for the little girl back home that he called his daughter.

Hiccup was going into Dragon Training, and as much as he should have been proud of this moment, thinking of her to do well, all he was doing was hoping she would be in one piece when they returned home.

Ever since she had been little she had been different. He remembered leaning over her crib, watching Valka play with the child and her saying, "This one is not like the others Stoick… She's got a stronger spirit and smarter mind." When Stoick had asked how she knew this, Valka had looked at him and given him her sweet smile and said, "A mother knows." He had thought that had been a good thing. But when her mother was taken away from them, Stoick soon learned that the kind of different she had been talking about wasn't exactly positive.

When Hiccup was growing, around her fifth winter old, he had brought her to play with other kids while he did Village business. They had been given all sorts of toys to play with, and while other kids played with toy swords or got to shoot practice arrows at targets, she sat away in a corner, building things with blocks. She was a created rather then a destroyer… And that just didn't fit in their society.

She was different, but he loved her still. He just couldn't show that weakness to her or any other villager.

The Chief looked at the map, trying to get his mind away from the worrying, and pointed at the pictures of the dragons. "I can nearly smell it… They're close." He murmured to the two men waiting by his side.

When he stood up, he looked over and saw a thick wall of fog. They knew the den was in there somewhere, they had just yet to pinpoint the direct location. It was seemingly quiet this time around. Usually they could hear roaring in the distance.

"Hm. Take us in." He called to the Viking who was manning the boat.

"Hard to port!" He yelled, turning the lever that brought them to a turn. The other boats followed suit.

When they entered the fog, Stoick got a chill. His chills never meant anything good… He just hoped everything would finally work out in his favour.

* * *

><p>"Y'know, I realized something last night Gobber, the book didn't have anything on Night Furies…" Hiccup pressed and looked at the man. "Is there like another book or a sequel or something? Anything on Night Furies at all?"<p>

The girl jumped though when something hot got close to her hand, almost enveloping it. She looked to the side to see the axe her father had given her smouldering in flames from a fire ball. "Ah!" She called and waved it around to try and get the embers off.

_Right… Dragon training. _She thought.

"Focus Hiccup! You aren't even trying!" Gobber called to her from his spot outside of the ring and the girl chuckled nervously.

Today in training, the arena had been set up in a maze of sorts with high walls made of wood. They were supposed to all be able to manoeuvre through them, trying to flee the dragon of the day; the Deadly Nadder. The one that had currently locked eyes onto Hiccup and was charging her way. Hiccup squeaked at it and ran for her life through the maze's walls.

"Today is all about attack!" Called Gobber. "Nadders are quick and light on their feet. Your job is to be quicker and lighter!"

Hiccup turned to look behind her to see if it was still there. She gasped when she realized it had hopped onto of the barrier. She ran down the length of the maze and took a sharp turn. The Nadder tried to follow after her, hopping on the tops of the walls before becoming distracted and loosing her sight.

The small brunette thanked the gods that she had been born small now. She was very fast due to all her running away as a child and could outrun Fishlegs and Snotlout for sure.

Thinking of Fishlegs, she heard his screams from across the ring where he was running away from a barrage of the Deadly Nadder's tail spikes. The boy was using his shield to cover his body as he scrambled through the maze. "I am seriously beginning to doubt your teaching methods here!" He yelled.

Gobber rolled his eyes at the kid. "Just look for its blind spot, every dragon has one. Find it, hide in it and strike!"

Hiccup groaned. How were they supposed to do that when the thing wouldn't stop moving? She continued to dart down a corridor, almost slamming into Ruffnut and Tuffnut as they came down another one. "Watch where you're going dweeb!" One yelled at her, but she wasn't sure who. She would have warned them that they were going the wrong way but they probably wouldn't have taken her advice.

She looked back to see them both run straight into the face of the dragon. They slowly tried to move back and forth, seeing if the Nadder would let them go, or lose its attention. Something Ruffnut said must have bothered Tuffnut, as he shoved her and she shoved him back. They began to yell about something, making the Nadder seemingly angrier. Ruffnut luckily pulled her brother out of the way just in time to not be sprayed with molten fire.

They ran past Hiccup as the girl stopped by the spot Gobber was leaning over. "Hey!" She yelled, trying to get his attention. "So, uh, theoretically, how would one go about sneaking up on a Night Fury?"

Gobber looked at the girl, annoyed. Would she ever let this Night Fury thing go? "No ones ever met one and lived to tell the tale. Now go get in there!"

Hiccup nodded and backed up. "I know, I know, but if you were to think of something, what do you think would work-"

"Hiccup!"

The girl looked behind her to see Astren and Snoutlout crouched down near the edge of a wall, spying on something around the corner (she assumed it was the Nadder). They had been trying to get her attention, whispering for her to get down.

"Oh!" She whispered back and got in line behind them.

Stren peeked out the side of the wall and let out a breath before he flung himself forward, placing his shield down on the ground, rolling over it and bringing it with him behind the next wall he used as cover. Snotlout followed suit.

It would have been a genius plan if Hiccup didn't go and screw things up as usual. As she went to try the roll, she got over her shield, only not able to pull the shield with her due to her minuscule strength. Her shield clattered on the stone ground, alerting the Nadder. Hiccup was on her feet and running, just in time to avoid its snapping mouth.

"Oh god!" She cried as she ran, hearing the Dragon fly to the top and follow after her movements.

She ran past Astren and Snotlout who were still close together. Hiccup had realized that Snotlout wanted to be the best, but was jealous that Astren was far more of a natural than he. It had spun a one-sided rivalry. Astren, who had been about to throw his axe at the heart and probably wound it, was shoved aside by HIccup's fool of a cousin.

"Don't worry pretty-boy, I got this." He hissed and threw his mace. It would have made him seem cool, if the mace had hit of course. But instead, it had flung right to the side of it, hitting a wall and further alerting the Nadder. Astren gave the other boy a deadly glare.

"What!? The sun was in my eyes!" He declared to his arch nemesis, trying to defend himself. He ran after Astren when the boy turned to go, narrowly missing another spray of the Nadder's fire. The Nadder then decided to make a beeline after Astren himself.

The blonde boy ran down the corridor that Hiccup was down. As he passed her, he grabbed her by the back of her vest and pulled her along. "C'mon you fool!" He hissed and pulled her sharply down the next turn. Hiccup would have said something if she weren't so out of breath (or in shock that her crush was defending her). Hiccup made the mistake to look back, seeing the Nadder knocking over the walls and bringing down the maze.

Astren lead them back over to where Gobber was, and shoved her away from him. "Stay here. Away from the rest of us. And don't cause trouble." He growled and ran back off in the opposite direction.

Hiccup blinked and looked up at Gobber. She chuckled awkwardly at the mans knowing look. "Wh-What?" She stuttered. Trying to get him off that topic, she looked at him and asked, "So uh… Night Furies. Ever seen one napping? Has anyone actually? Could you point me in their direction?" She asked.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup turned around with a groan, thinking, _What now?_ She froze though, when she saw the Nadder coming her way, about to dive at her. Astren, who had been the one yelling at her, jumped in the nick of time and pulled her out of the way. The impact was hard and made Hiccup hiss in pain. She would definitely have bruises after this.

When Hiccup opened her eyes again, the sun was bleared out by the figure over her. After a few blinks, her vision cleared enough to show that figure as Astren. She swore her face must have turned over ten shades of red. It only further made her embarrassed when Tuffnut saw and cooed, "Oooh, lovers on the battlefield." Ruffnut rolled her eyes and then stated, "Nah, he could do better. Far better."

Astren looked disgusted as he got up and tried to grab his axe, which had seemingly embedded itself into her shield. He pulled at it, used her shoulder as leverage to push.

"Ow, Astren, why don't you let me- oof!" She had been trying to help, when Astren covered her mouth and shoved her head to the side. The boy looked over and gasped when he saw the Nadder coming towards them, the rest of the maze destroyed. He hopped up and grabbed the handle of his axe, pulling at it harshly. Hiccup yelped in pain as it tugged at the shield that was attached to her arm. She quickly pulled her arm out of the holder.

Astren, having felt the sudden relief, turned to the Nadder, shield still attached to axe, and smacked it in the side of the head. The shield broke around the axe, but the blade hadn't gone through to cut the beast. The hit had been hard enough to throw the Nadder's body to the side.

The blue, white and yellow dragon rose from the ground with a caw and skittered away dejectedly, as if it truly felt hurt.

Gobber nodded. "Well done Astren."

Astren paid the comment no mind, instead he turned to Hiccup who was slowly sitting herself up. He frowned at the girl and glared at her.

"Is this some kind of a joke to you? You could have gotten one of us killed!" He growled at her, making her flinch. She could feel the eyes of the others on her. "Our parents war is about to become ours. Figure out which side you're on." He turned and walked away, the other kids following his suit, though Fishlegs did stop to look at her for a moment before hurrying on.

Hiccup sat there and looked up to see Gobber shaking his head and turning to the village elder that had shown up sometime during the fight. He spoke soft words with her before she walked away slowly.

The brunette looked up at Gobber. "I didn't mean to… I swear." She called to him, feeling useless.

Gobber sighed. "I know kid. Why don't ye head home now and I'll clean this up."

Hiccup sighed and got up. She felt defeated, yes. But would she be going home and staying there? No.

* * *

><p>Somehow, during watching the Night Fury before, Hiccup had gotten an idea.<p>

After training, the girl had gone to her home to drop off the remnants of her father's axe and her beaten up shield. She in turn, grabbed her field journal, something to write with, a new shield and a fish. She then headed into the forest again.

Luckily, Hiccup was becoming more familiar with the woods, and it didn't take her as long to find the spot which held the Night Fury. She had also successfully found another crack in the stones that would lead her directly to the bottom of the cage-like place. This one was more narrow though.

As Hiccup walked down it, she slowed when she got close to the exit. She help up her shield and removed the fish from the satchel she brought.

She had the most brilliant idea the night before. If she wanted to get close to the Fury, she would have to cater to its needs. If it had been trapped in here for days, and wasn't able to catch its food, then it would be starving. Thus, her fish idea. Maybe with it, she could lure the Night Fury out so she could get a better look.

She took the grey scaled fish and threw it into the opening, then hid behind her shield, expecting the dragon to come put and get it as soon as she did so. After a few seconds though, that didn't seem to be happening.

Hiccup sighed and began to walk out of the small crack, only to stop when her shield got fought between the two rocks. She sighed and blew the hair from her face and ducked underneath it, trying to pull it from the other side. When it wouldn't budge, she just gave up on it.

The brunette slowly came forward and picked up the fish. She had to be cautious. The dragon hadn't killed her last time but it could be less kind this time around.

She crept through the area slowly, looking around curiously. She made it up to the pond and looked into it, wondering if it could possibly hide there, but no. She then continued to look by the vines and leaves but came up with nothing. When she was finally about to give up, thinking that maybe the Dragon had found its way out of the hole in the ground, she felt a presence behind her.

Hiccup slowly turned, fish in hand, to look at the rocks behind her. There, creeping over the ledge of the rocks was the Night Fury. It always seemed to look blacker than she remembered. Its wings were slowly spreading, and it looked like it was about to attack. It climbed lethally to the ground, sniffing at Hiccup, but staying cautious. It growled at her softly.

Hiccup bit her lip nervously and extended her hand with the fish in it. She felt like she was breathing too hard, so she tried to hold her breath as the Night Fury slowly stalked forward. It opened its mouth curiously at the fish, pupils becoming wider as it made a soft coo. Hiccup thought she was home safe until it recoiled and growled.

The girl didn't understand until she saw its eyes on her vest. She opened it up to reveal the dagger that was attached to her belt. The dragon growled at it angrily. Hiccup nodded softly. _Okay, okay… Just remove it slowly Hiccup… _ She thought to herself.

When she reached for it, the Fury snarled at her and became more defensive; hunching back. Hiccup gasped and backed up a little bit. She reached for it again and grabbed it. This time, she pulled it out and held it out to her side, dropping it away from her.

The dragon still didn't seem impressed. It snarled softly and jerked its head to the side, as if saying, _"Yeah right human, throw it away farther."_

The freckled girl slowly scooped the knife up on her fur boot, balancing it there before she kicked it away. It fell into the water with a splash. The dragon looked at her carefully before suddenly sitting down, pupils widening, ears flicking up. Those green eyes stared at her expectantly.

Hiccup blinked. _It's so smart…_

She held out the fish again and watched its ear twitch curiously. It lowered itself to the ground again and began to creep forward. As it got closer to her, it reached out its neck and opened its mouth expectantly. Its gums were pink in its round mouth, and there were indents where teeth were supposed to be.

"Huh, you're toothless… I could have sworn you had-"

Suddenly, from the indents in the Fury's mouth, teeth surfaced and it quickly snatched up the fish from her hands. She gasped and reeled back as it finished the fish in a few short bites. It licked around its mouth with its forked tongue and looked at her.

"-teeth…" She finished with a squeak.

The Night Fury blinked at her before coming forward again, looking at her with curious eyes. Hiccup backed up nervously. "Uh, uh… I don't have any more. I only brought one w-with me." She continued to back up until she tripped on a rock, stammering. She fell on her behind, but that didn't stop the dragon from advancing. She pushed herself back until she felt a boulder behind her, stopping her path. "No, no, no.." She stammered as it's face came inches close to hers. "I… I don't have any more…"

The Fury stared her down before its eyes rolled back into its head and its body began to heave. It sounded like it was sucking wind up as its body jerked forward. Hiccup had no clue what it was doing until it opened its mouth and spat up part of the fish that had stayed whole, right onto her lap.

"Aw man… Ugh…" she muttered.

The dragon rose onto its back legs, almost like a human, before sitting down on his tail. It would almost be comical, a dragon acting like a human, if she weren't so scared out of her mind. She sat up a bit more slowly, watching the dragon curiously, as it looked at her expectantly. What did it want?

They sat there, staring at one another; Hiccup rather awkward as she held the bottom half of the regurgitated fish, and the Night Fury, waiting for her to do something. When she didn't seem to understand, the Fury looked at the fish and then back to her face, almost indicating something.

Hiccup looked down at the fish and frowned. What? Was she supposed to do something with the fish? Why in gods name would it barf it back up for her? This is when Hiccup remembered something she had read when she was little on a species called the wolf. When the wolf had young, the babies weren't strong enough to get food for themselves. Instead, the mothers would go out, kill their meal, eat it and then come back to the pups to regurgitate it into their mouths. Was this just like dragons, but instead of being something for babies, was she supposed to eat it in respect?

"Ugh…" She frowned. _I suppose its worth a try…_

She raised the fish to her face and opened her mouth, trying not to gag. It smelt worse now then it had when she had originally brought it here. The dragon looked at her, expecting her to bite, and she did, but it wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Mmm!" She hummed, trying to seem pleased as she ate the slimy, raw fish. She held it in her mouth, not wanting to actually let the fish get into her stomach. She held the fish out to the dragon, but it didn't take it. It emitted swallowing, watching her with wide eyes. She moaned softly. So it did want her to swallow it. Why was it so smart?

When she swallowed she almost puked it back up, and had to hit herself on the chest to make it go down. When she finished she took a breath and shuddered. That was disgusting.

The dragon looked almost pleased as it licked its lips with a slurp and then smacked its lips together. Hiccup sighed and then gave it her best smile, still trying not to feel disgusted.

The Fury narrowed its eyes at her before making odd guttural grunts. Its mouth twitched at the corners, trying to pul upwards until it was showing a gummy smile, teeth having been retracted.

Hiccup let out a soft, amazed breath. _It was trying to smile at me…_

She slowly started to stand up after she set the fish aside, reaching a hand to the dragon. She wanted to touch it. The Fury seemed to realize this too, as its teeth came out, it snarled at her and turned away quickly, jumping and gliding away. Obviously dragons weren't all that touchy.

Hiccup watched as it made its way to the other side and began to walk around in a circle, blasting fire on the ground as it did so. It then laid down in the toasty warm spot.

The brunette crept closer and sat down near the dragon, watching as it lay there contently. They stayed like this for a while until a bird chirped in a nearby tree, drawing the Fury's attention to it. It watched as it flew by with wide eyes, big pupils and upturned ears. That was until it realized the human girl was right there. It let out a low groan as Hiccup waved at it and turned to lay so that its wing covered its body and tail came up to shield its face.

Hiccup almost giggled, but slowly scooted forward. She was determined to get the dragon to let her touch it. She reached out slowly, almost able to reach its tail before the tail suddenly flew up and the dragons face looked at her unhappily from behind.

She bolted up, walked away quickly and acted as though nothing really happened. She even let out a soft whistle as she went. The dragon let out a chortle and walked away from the girl further.

Hiccup sighed. It would take some time, but she was sure she could do it.

* * *

><p>Hiccup had stayed in the little valley until the sun was setting. She had tried multiple times to touch the dragon, but none of them had been successful. Eventually, the Night Fury had climbed the rock wall and decided to sleep, hanging upside down by its tail on one of the thicker roots coming from a tree. She hadn't been able to reach him, no matter how hard she tried, and decided to take a rest. She was now sitting on a rock by the water, using a stick to draw in the dirt. What she didn't realize though, was that she had caught the beasts attention.<p>

She had drawn a few lines in the beginning, not knowing what to make, but before long it had seemingly turned into a drawing of the dragon. She paused when she heard a low growling purr behind her. She tried to hold back a smile at the dragons interest. Instead of acknowledging it, she continued to draw, adding in the eyes and its ears and little antennae.

Behind her, the Night Fury got up and walked away. Hiccup sighed softly, thinking the dragon had lost interest. Then she heard the snapping of a tree branch, and looked back to see the dragon walking about on its hind legs a branch with some leaves still on it, in its mouth.

The black dragon pressed the end into the dirt and began to drag it around, making lines in the earth like Hiccup had. It walked around on all four legs, pulling the branch to make lines. It curled around itself to make swirls in the dirt and finally finished its creation by dotting the earth once with the stick.

Hiccup stood and laughed happily, looking at what the dragon had done. It was by far no picture that made sense, but it was still so magnificent. The fact that this being was so intelligent to pick up on the things she could do and tried to imitate them itself was astounding.

_You really are an amazing creature… _

She stepped away from the rock, only to freeze when she heard the dragon growling at her. She looked up to see it leaning down in a crouch, looking about to pounce. Its eyes were narrowed at her feet. Hiccup looked down to see her foot was on one of the lines the dragon had created and slowly pulled it off of it. She watched the dragon relax and purr.

Hiccup hummed and looked at the line, wanting to try something out. She placed her foot on the line again and watched as the Night Fury growled again, eyes narrowed. She lifted her foot and got a purr as the dragon relaxed. She tried this a few more times and got the same result.

_It doesn't want me to ruin its picture… This is… _Hiccup smiled. This was beyond words. Somehow, without her knowing, the Night Fury had weaselled its way into her thoughts. And somehow, no matter how many times she tried to deny it, the dragon just seemed to human, so intelligent. Yes, so very much like herself.

Hiccup raised her arms to balance and slowly stepped over the line, onto the earth that was untouched. She looked at the dragon expectantly, but it stayed relaxed. She laughed softly and began to slowly twist and turn, treading light around the lines so she wouldn't anger the beast, until she was fully outside of the picture.

She smiled happily until she felt hot air blast down on her head, blowing her cropped locks around wildly. Hiccup slowly looked up to see the dragon towering above her, watching down on her small body. She turned slowly so they were face to face and slowly extended her hand out, pausing when it growled softly and pulled back slightly.

Hiccup let out a soft breath and looked at her hand and then the dragon. She closed her eyes and slowly reached her hand out. She couldn't see, couldn't protect or defend herself. She was doing what every Viking was born and raised not to do; trust a dragon. It could surely bite off her arm, or eat all of her… But yet, Hiccup only hoped it would trust her back.

When something touched her hand, Hiccup almost jumped away, but she stayed where she was.

What was beneath her hand felt smooth and warm. It was almost hard, but yet a bit squishy at the same time. It certainly wasn't wet, so it wasn't a mouth, which meant it wasn't eating her.

Her green eyes cracked open, only to met with lighter green ones. Her hand rested on the Night Fury's nose, and for an instant they stared at each other before it pulled back, nose wiggling. They looked at each other for one more second before it turned and went off.

Hiccup let out a soft breath. One instant was all it took.

Through that brief stare and that quick touch, Hiccup had felt a connection ever stronger than she had for a human. Looking into its eyes, she could see her own eyes reflecting back at her. No, not physically, but emotionally. They shared the same emotions.

Hiccup didn't know what was scarier, the fact that she had touched a dragon willingly, or that she had actually enjoyed doing it. There was one thing for certain that stood out now, that scared her the most.

They were two of the same soul, and there was nothing she could do about it.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Remember to review please, as it helps me and fuels me to write the next chapters faster.<strong>

**Thanks!**


End file.
